Wood-fiber-cutting machine.



N0. 788,615. PATENTBD MAY 2, 1905. G. L. WELLER.

WOOD FIBER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION TILED APR. 8, 1904.

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR. W Q Q X1 H 7 iTORNEY PATENTBD MAY 2, 1905.

G. L. WELLER.

WOOD FIBER CUTTING MACHINE.

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APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1904 WITNESSES:

A TTORNE Y NITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905..

PATENT OEEIcE.

GEORGE L. WELLER, OF ELYRIA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHIO FIBER MACHINERY(10., OF ELYRIA, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

WOOD-FlBEH-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,615, dated May 2,1905. Application filed April 8, 1904. Serial No. 202,180.

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. IVnLLm-r, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elyria, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have 5invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wood-Fiber-OuttingMachines; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled inthe art to which it ap- IO pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in fiber-machines; and theimprovement consists in the construction and arrangement of parts,substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointedout in the claims.

The primary object of my improved machine is to produce wood fiber suchas is now extensively used as a binder for plasters, 850., and althoughvarious machines for reducing a log to fiber are in use I am not awareof any machine having the simplicity of construction and advantages ofoperation equal to my improved machine. The size and Weight of the logsused demand a construction of machine which will facilitate the settingof the log in place and provide for the handling of the log thereafterwith ease and rapidity and under full control from start to finish; andone of the objects of my construction embodies the 3 arrangement forbringing the log feed and carrier frame down to the leg as it rests uponthe floor and from which point after the log has been fastened in placeit is raised into position opposite the saws by suitable rack-andgearmechanism, which is both hand and machine controlled.

Another object comprises the use of simple driving mechanism forrotating the log and feeding the log forward to the saws and which 4 isboth hand-controlled and automatically operated to give a uniformproduct. Furthermore, I prefer to use a single line of powertransmittingmechanism leading from the saw-arbor to the other operating parts of themachine.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved machine with a log in working engagement with the saws. Fig. 2is a sectional view of the speedchanging mechanism which controls thefeed 5 of the log; and Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 00 m, Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the machine as viewed from the front orsaw end. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail and side view of the log-carrierframe and the worm-shaft and its eccentric throw-out lever. Fig. 6 is asectional view of one side of the main frame with a diagrammatical planof the controllingarm for the speed-changing mechanism.

The main framcA of themachiue comprises two qua-(Irant-shaped castingsforming side members, which are tied together by suitable stay-rods 2,as well as by arbor or saw-shaft 3 and rock-shaft 4. Rock-shaft 4 hasbearings in the lower right angle at the front of 5 frame members A, anda yoke or H shaped casting B is secured upon rock-shaft 4 and adapted toswing on an are from a vertical to a horizontal position and provides afeed-carrier for the log. The outer or free end of 7 casting or carrierB has side extensions or bearings 55, within which a suitable logscrewspindle 6 is mounted at one side and a drive chuck and shaft 7 forthe log at the other side.

The means for raising and lowering logcarrier B on an arc comprise acurved rack or segment gear 8, secured to the inner curved portion ofeach main frame member A, and the radial curve of each rack-gear 8 iscentered at the center of rock-shaft at. Across- 3O shaft 9, havingbearings in the sides of log carrier B, is provided with a set ofpinions 10, which mesh with racks 8, and a crank 11 at the outer end ofshaft 9 is utilized to rotate said shaft and pinions and raise or lowerthe 5 log-carrier by hand when occasion requires, as in the case ofplacing a new log between spindle 6 and chuck driving members 7. This isdone by first lowering log-carrier B until it is substantially parallelwith the floor and 9 the spindle and chuck in position to engage theends of the log. When the log-carrier is brought to substantiallyvertical position by rotation of crank 11 and the log is carried 'intoengagement with the set of saws G, a

further forward feed of log-carrier B and the log thereon toward thesaws is mechanically provided for by suitable drive mechanism, whichobtains its power from the saw-shaft 3, and which operation isautomatically carried on when certain parts are thrown into workingrelation. Thus saw-shaft 3 has a main drive-pulley D at one side of themachine and a small power-communicating pulley E at the opposite side ofthe machine. A belt 12 leads from pulley E to a large pulley 13, mountedto revolve on rock-shaft 4, and communicates power to variable-speedmechanism F, comprising a set of oppositely-arranged dish or cup shapedfriction-disks G and H, between which-aseries of speed-changing rollersI are revolubly mounted upon a spider J, free to rock on rock-shaft 4,and which rollers are controlled through an upright rod or shaft 1 1,having a bearing at its upper end in a lug on the chuck extension 5 oflog-carrier yoke B, and which rod when rotated through hand-lever 16 atits top or arm 17 when engaged by U-shaped member 18 on the side offrame A will serve to shift the rollers in their relationship betweenthe opposite friction-disks and vary the speed proportionately as thelog is gradually reduced in diameter. In the reduction of the log it isessential to increase the rotation of the log and the feed of the log tothe saws in a gradually-increasing ratio in order that a uniform productof fiber may be obtained from first to last. This may in ameasure bedone by hand control through lever 16; but an automatic control is moredesirable and effective.

The mechanism for communicating power from the friction-disks to the logand log-carrier is provided for by a sprocket-wheel 15 on the hub ofouter disk H and a sprocketchain 19 from said sprocket wheel to thelarger sprocket 20 on chuck-shaft 7, which drives the log. A worm-gear22, cut in shaft 7, drives a worm-gear 23, mounted on a short verticalshaft 2e, supported upon log-carrier B, and by means of which rotationis imparted to cross-shaft 9 by a worm 25 on shaft 2 1 and worm-gear 26on cross-shaft 9. Shaft 2th is freely held at its top in lug or bearing27 on extension 5 and is adapted to be shifted to one side at its lowerend by means of an eccentric bearing 28, mounted in a rigid arm 29 ofyoke B. By this arrangement and a controlling-lever 30 a throw-outconnection is obtained which disconnects worm 25 and worm-gear 26 and bymeans of which the operator can stop the power-feed of the logcarrier atwill. This throw-out mechanism is also necessary when a change fromhandfeed to the power-driven feed is required, as occurs when the log issiiiiiciently raised from the floor and brought into cutting relationwith the saws.

The changeable-speed mechanism need not necessarily be of theconstruction such as shown; but any suitable varying-speed mechanism maybe used which can be hand-operated or automatically controlled to varythe speed of rotation of the log and the feed of the log to the saws. Asshown, however, the rollers I are supported upon a short yoke K,trunnioned between arms of spider J and connected by segmental gears L,whereby a joint rotary movement is imparted to all the yoke members toshift the rollers to any angle in respect to the oppositefriction-disks. An idler-wheel 31 is mounted on an arm fixed to shaft 4to take the slack out of sprocket-chain 19. Suitable spiral springs areinterposed between the spider and the outside friction-disk and a collarM on shaft 1 to maintain the requisite drive relation between therollers and disks and to take up the wear.

It will be readily seen that if boxes 33 and 34: on the vertical frontfaces of main frame members A were removed and a duplicate machinewithout the saws was brought and fastened with its vertical front facesin juxtaposition thereto a single set of saws driven from a singlepulley would double the output.

W hat I claim is 1. The quadrant-shaped main frame provided with acurved rack-gear, a rocking logcarrier provided with pinions in meshwith said rack-gear, log-driving mechanism upon said carrier, and meansto drive said pinions to feed the carrier, in combination with a set ofsaws mounted in working relation with the log on said carrier,substantially as described.

2. In fiber-machines, a main frame and a set of rotating saws thereon, arocking logcarrier and log-driving mechanism thereon, a curved segmentalrack on said carrier, and means to drive said pinions and feed saidcarrier and log thereon forward to said saws, substantially asdescribed.

3. The quadrant-shaped main frame and a set of saws and a curvedrack-gear mounted thereon, a rock-shaft and a log-carrier mounted onsaid shaft, a drive-shaft mounted on said carrier and pinions on saidshaft in mesh with said rack-gear, log-driving mechanism on said carrierand power-transmitting mechanism between said log-driving mechanism andsaid pinion drive-shaft, and means to drive said log-driving mechanism,substantially as described.

4. In a fiber-machine, a main frame consisting of quadrant-shaped sidemembers provided with curved rackgear, a rock-shaft mounted on saidmembers and a yoke-shaped log-carrier on said shaft, log centering anddrive mechanism at the top of said carrier, a

cross-shaft on said carrier and pinions thereon speed When thelog-carrier is under motion,

in mesh with said rack-gear, a poWer-transsubstantially as described. Imitting shaft and gearing connecting said Intestimony whereof I signthis specificacross-shaft and log-drive mechanism, a VHJition in thepresence of two witnesses.

able-speed driving device connected with said GEORGE L. WELLER.log-driving mechanism, acontrolling-rod for Witnesses: i saidvariable-speed device, and means on said W. WELLER,

main frame to actuate said rod to control the F. BISHOP.

